Toby Gorman To Head FremantleMedia North America’s Unscripted Department

Former top reality producer-turned-FremantleMedia North America CEO Thom Beers has picked a person with the same background to head the company’s unscripted development. Veteran reality producer Toby Gorman has joined FMNA as EVP of Alternative Programming, effective mid-April. He will spearhead the development of formats for reality competition and game shows for broadcast, major cable networks as well as syndication. He replaces Jeff Tahler, EVP Global Content. “FremantleMedia aims to continue to build on its strong presence in reality, game show and other unscripted television, and Toby has earned a wonderful reputation as a terrific series producer and show runner,” Beers said. The company behind American Idol, The X Factor, America’s Got Talent, Family Feud and Beers’ The Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers has struggled to add another marquee reality franchise to its portfolio over the last couple of years though it has a promising new syndicated entry in Craig Ferguson’s Celebrity Name Game.

Gorman most recently served as co-executive producer and showrunner on NBC’s Hollywood Game Night and The Winner Is. In addition, he served as executive producer and showrunner on the NBC pilot Surprise Surprise, as well as the Fox series Mobbed. Gorman has a history with FremantleMedia. For FMNA, he served as executive producer and showrunner on dating pilot Take Me Out for ABC, executive producer of NBC’s Celebrity Family Feud and as supervising producer for Fox’s American Idol (seasons 8 and 9). For FremantleMedia in his native UK, he was a producer and showrunner for All Star Family Fortunes (ITV1) & Grease Is the Word (ITV1). Gorman also served as showrunner for Britain’s Missing Top Model (BBC3) and The Smith’s Hotels for Two (Discovery International), as well as series editor and showrunner for The Race (Sky One) and producer of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! (ITV1) and Hell’s Kitchen (ITV1).